خلاصة:
Along the wisdom 252 of Nahj al-Balāghah, where Amir al-Mu'minīn Ali (AS) speaks of the philosophy and cause of Islamic laws and commandments, beginning with the statement of “faraḍ al-Allah al-'īmān-a taṭhīran min al-shirk” (Allah obligated men to have Faith in order to be purified of the filth of Polytheism), occurs the phrase “al-imāmat-u niẓāman lil-'ummah” (الإمامة نظاما للأمة) that refers to the importance of the issue of Imamate in the leadership of the Community (‘Ummah). However, in some later versions, this phrase has been recorded as “al-amānat-u niẓāman lil-'ummah” (الأمانة نظاما للأمة) that points to the importance of trust in the preservation of the ‘Ummah system. On the other hand, unfortunately in recent years, distortions have taken place by some publishers and editors in the commentaries of Nahjul Balāghah, so that the text of Nahj al-Balāqah presented at the beginning of some commentaries such as Ibn Abi al-Ḥadīd’s and Ibn Meytham’s, does not correspond to the same text explained by the commentator himself, of which the phrase al-imāmat-u niẓāman lil-'ummah is notable. The present paper, based on the old versions and the authentic commentaries of Nahj al-Balāghah, as well as the context of the phrase and other closed-meaning hadiths, argues that the record of “al-imāmah” is its exact form; it is “Imamate” which has the essential element in the system of the ‘Ummah, and is constantly emphasized, not “trust”. Without doubt, the theological tendencies of some commentators such as Muhammad ‘Abduh and Ṣubḥī Ṣāliḥ have affected at choosing the form of “al-amānah”.
ملخص الجهاز:
In the commentaries of Ibn Mithm and Ibn Abi al-Hadid, although their publishers have quoted the phrase as ‘al-Amanah’ and ‘al-Amanat,’ the commentators of those two books themselves have explained the phrase ‘Wa al-Imamate nizamun lil-ummah,’ it is clear that ‘al-Imamate’ was recorded in their trusted copy; It is not known on what documents Sheikh Muhammad Abduh and Subhi Salih quoted the wisdom as ‘al-Amanah’ and ‘al-Amanat’ [42, vol.
8. Sixth-century copy: The date of writing of this copy belongs to number 874 of the Malek Library of Astan Quds Razavi located in Tehran, and its image is kept in the library of the University of Quran and Hadith in Shahre Rey. According to what the scribe, Suleiman bin Mahmoud bin Muhammad bin Qarabi (Qarabak) al-Badri, mentioned, it is Thursday, the eleventh of Shawwal, year 566 AH.
In the handwriting of: Muhammad bin Ali Hamdani, available at: Madrasah Library, Qom. Photographic copy: Center for Revival, number 1818, p.
Copy dated 7 Safar 608 AH, in the handwriting of: Ali bin Tahir bin Abi Sa’d, from the copy of the handwriting of the poet scholar: Abu Yusuf Yaqub bin Ahmad bin Muhammad Kurd Nishaburi, who died in Ramadan 484 AH, available at: University of Tehran Library, number 1782, photographic copy: Center for Revival, Qom, number 3, p.
Copy dating back to the seventh century (with comments by Hussein bin Muhammad Husayni Shirazi, dated Rabi’ al-Awwal 693) available at: Malek Library, Tehran number 179, photographic copy: Center for Revival, Qom, number 1089, p.
Sayyid Muhammad Mahdi Ja’fari recorded “wal-Imamah nizamā lil-ummah” in the text of his book A Ray from Nahj al-Balagha, and wrote in the footnote: “In all the handwritten copies: wal-Amānah” [24, vol.